1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of multichannel pipette heads for measuring and transporting fluids.
2. Background
Automated multichannel liquid dispensing pipettors provide a broad range of applications in biotechnology, medicine and analytical chemistry. The invention provides an improved head for multichannel pipettors.
The invention provides methods and devices for measuring and transporting fluids, particularly from one micro-plate to another. Devices encompassed by the disclosure are more specifically defined in the following claims
1. A multichannel pipette head comprising a pump housing, pistons, a drive plate, an aspiration drive and bearing rails, wherein the pump housing comprises chambers adapted to receive the pistons, the pistons each comprise a shaft, the drive plate retains the pistons and translocates the piston shafts through chambers, the aspiration drive translocates the drive plate along the bearing rails which, preferably pass through the drive plate, and attach to the pump housing.
2. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, wherein aspiration drive is an on-board drive comprising a unified ball screw, motor shaft and bearing shaft and rotatably, axially and operably attached thereto, a rotor of a motor, preferably a brushless DC motor, preload bearings and a bearing preload nut for securing the preload bearings.
3. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, wherein aspiration drive is an on-board drive comprising a unified ball screw, motor shaft and bearing shaft and axially and operably attached thereto, a position sensor and the pipette head preferably further comprises a digital encoder assembly, wherein the position sensor rotates through the digital encoder assembly.
4. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, further comprising within each chamber, a nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head, a distal end adapted for coupling to a pipette tip and an axial bore terminating at proximal and distal end apertures, wherein the proximal end aperture is exposed on the proximal surface of the head and the distal end aperture is exposed on the distal surface of the head, wherein the drive plate translocates the pistons through the nipples.
5. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, further comprising within each chamber, a nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head, a distal end adapted for coupling to a pipette tip and an axial bore terminating at proximal and distal end apertures, wherein the proximal end aperture is exposed on the proximal surface of the head and the distal end aperture is exposed on the distal surface of the head, wherein the drive plate translocates the pistons through the nipples, wherein the pump housing comprises a discrete nipple retainer plate into which the proximal end of each nipple is retained by threads.
6. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, further comprising within each chamber, a nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head, a distal end adapted for coupling to a pipette tip and an axial bore terminating at proximal and distal end apertures, wherein the proximal end aperture is exposed on the proximal surface of the head and the distal end aperture is exposed on the distal surface of the head, wherein the drive plate translocates the pistons through the nipples, wherein the pistons each further comprise a proximal end ball and the drive shaft retains the end ball of each piston in a recess secured by a set screw.
7. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 1, further comprising within each chamber, a nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head, a distal end adapted for coupling to a pipette tip and an axial bore terminating at proximal and distal end apertures, wherein the proximal end aperture is exposed on the proximal surface of the head and the distal end aperture is exposed on the distal surface of the head, wherein the drive plate translocates the pistons through the nipples, wherein the axial bore contains a friction-reducing plastic sleeve through which the piston translocates.
8. A multichannel pipette head comprising a pump housing and a stripper plate comprising spring loaded actuating columns topped by retention collars, wherein the stripper plate is suspended from the pump housing from the collars and by the columns whereby the collars protrude above the pump housing.
9. A multichannel pipette head comprising a bar code reader adapted to reading a bar code affixed to a microtiter plate.
10. A multichannel pipette head comprising a latch for releasing a electromechanical coupling comprising a suspension bracket and an electronic connector, which together operatively join the pipette head to an autopipettor.
11. A multichannel pipette head comprising nipples adapted for attaching a pipette tip, each nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head, a distal end adapted for coupling to the pipette tip and an axial bore terminating at proximal and distal end apertures, wherein the distal end aperture comprises a non-circular configuration adapted to tool receipt to enable rotation of the nipple.
12. A multichannel pipette head comprising nipples adapted for attaching a deformable pipette tip, each nipple having a proximal end adapted for coupling to the head and a distal end adapted for coupling to the pipette tip, wherein the distal end comprises a proximal taper and a distal taper and the pipette tip comprises a thicker walled proximal portion proximate to a receiving opening and a thinner walled distal portion proximate to an axially opposite dispensing opening, wherein the distal end is configured to insert into the receiving opening of the pipette tip whereby the distal taper contacts and deforms the distal portion of the pipette tip and the proximal taper contacts and deforms the proximal portion of the tip wherein the deformation at the distal portion of the pipette tip is greater than the deformation at the proximal portion of the pipette tip and thereby reversibly couples the pipette tip to the distal end of the nipple.
13. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 12, wherein the proximal taper is flatter than the distal taper.
14. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 12, wherein the proximal taper is offset inwardly from the distal taper.
15. A multichannel pipette head according to claim 12 further comprising a deformable pipetted tip reversibly coupled to the distal end of the nipple.
16. A multichannel pipette head comprising any combination of the limitations the foregoing claims, e.g. a multichannel pipette head according to claim 3, further described by the limitations of claims 8, 10 and 12.
17. An autopipettor comprising a multichannel pipette head as described by any of the foregoing claims.
18. An autopipettor comprising a multichannel pipette head as described by any of the foregoing claims, and further comprising a pipette head attachment assembly, and functional tray stations, wherein the autopipettor is adapted to functionally engage the pipette head with the tray stations, such as by positioning pipette tips over a station-secured microtiter plate and optionally, wherein the pipette head is reversibly electro-mechanically coupled to the head attachment assembly.
A method for loading pipette tips or loading and/or dispensing fluid, comprising the step of loading pipette tips on a pipette head described in any of the foregoing claims and/or dispensing fluid with a pipette head or autopipettor as described in any of the foregoing claims.